California Champ Wakefield Flying at Shelby

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later one built by Rich Wegener

Cliff's Gliders at Shelby, OH

Hi You All,

It was a windy day at Shelby. Cliff and his Grandson Dan were able to make three flights. The last flight flew out of the field and landed well out in a corn field.

Eagle eye Dan spotted something yellow way out thar. After a long walk threw the muddy field, Dan retrieved the glider.

I made him walk back to the pit area. I would not let him ride in my Volvo with muddy shoes. I took the glider and Cliff back in the Volvo.

Those three flights were the first flights for that glider. Cliff was very happy. The other glider Cliff just hand glided in the stiff wind.

I spent the morning flying the Sonic Cruiser for the first time at the Willard, Ohio R/C field. My long time friend, Grover Ritter, helped me getting the model ready for each flight. Also made three flights. I was very happy with the flights.

Sorry no photos.

The End Of A Very Windy Day!

Bucky

First SAM 39 flying day at the Shelby Airport

Hi Guys,

What a wonderful day to fly. The winds were very calm and warm. Gil Morris had trouble with the DeeTee fuse on his FAI 1/2 A model which failed did not DeeTee and had a Two & A Half Hour Flight. It left the field heading Southeast and ended up in the top of a very tall tree Five Miles South of the field. Oh what fun
Tom Ryan had driving Gil around the country side searching for the model. When the model was located but not retrieved they returned to the field.

Gil was so happy to located the model he offered to buy lunch for anybody that wanted to go to Paul's Dinner. You know Ole Bucky hopped right on that offer.

Cliff Riedel and Jim Keppler came with gliders and small rubber jobs. Ted Williams came to watch the guys fly. Our R/C friends, Jim Winningham and Paul Stansberry, flew their R/C models. That rounded out the group.

Ole Bucky tried to fly his Tornado II. The 1/2 A Cox engine started with the first flip of the prop. The flight was sheer madness, full down elevator was required on the power climb out. By that time I was not able to control the model and Tom Ryan took over the controls for the glide which turned into a barrel of fun. Tom had full right rudder to stop the spinning to the left from getting worse. The model finally won out and crashed into the nice soft high grass. No damage.

Tom found a warp in the left wing, suggestion to add nose weight and also down thrust. I can't wait for the next flight. That engine starts on the first flip of the prop, what a joy.

Jim Keppler had a ball flying his Polish light model and also his little rubber job. I took a lot of photos of Jim and his models, he was the only one flying.

Cliff did a lot of glide testing with his new glider. No tow line flights due to the lack of wind.

Enjoy the photos,

Bucky

Flying at Shelby Airport May 20th, 2010

I arrived at the airport this morning in time to retrieve Gil's

1/2A AMA ship, a model he designed called the Pop-up powered

by a Russian Profi engine.

The model failed to DT and landed on the asphalt runway. Upon examination, we noted that the DT fuse burnt through the core but the outside (and the rubber band) was intact.

Gil Morris launching his Pop-up on its fly away flight

Dumb luck or bad fuse? Unfortunately, it was probably the latter because next time, the thermals decided to play for keeps. We watched it fly away in relatively calm conditions. I was the last to lose sight of it at 37 minutes. We then pursued by car. For nearly two more hours we tracked it 5 miles to the east, 3 miles south and then another 8-9 miles back west. It was apparent that the model was still airborne but was not in sight and it's anyone's guess how high it went. (I've hit large bugs in a jet >30,000 ft up and I know they didn't get up that high themselves.)

We must have been a strange sight; an octogenarian pointing a strange device at the sky followed closely from behind by someone who would pick him up every tenth of a mile or so. One old lady abandoned her gardening to come over and express her concern when we passed the entrance to her driveway. "I've been out all morning and haven't seen anything--- This is the first time I've seen anyone doing what you're doing." I explained that he had been flying models competitively around the world since the forties and she left with the assurance that we were harmless and wished us luck.

When we were about the give up, the target quit moving and pointing the antenna up in the sky didn't make the Walston beep. I parked along the side of the road and saw Gil emerge from the woods 200yds away. It was found but still lost. To wit, it was in a tree! At least fifty feet above the ground and that's where it stayed when we left Shelby hoping winds would come in the next day or two and we could return to pick it up.

May 22nd update from Gilbert Morris

Hi Tom and Bucky,

I went to Shelby late yesterday expecting the model to be down but it wasn't. It's hung up on the nose and on the tail end and neither will let go despite winds of 18 mph. I sat and just looked at it in the woods from 5:00 pm to 6:30 and then went in town for dinner and then checked again at 8:00 pm. It just sways with the branches in the wind. It's probably going to need a really strong gust. There's no strong winds in the forecast so I'm not going back up again until I get back from Lost Hills a week from Tuesday. Incidentally, the stab is DTed now.

At first, when I went in the woods, I couldn't find it in the branches nor anywhere else so went I back to the car and got the tracker and again spotted it in the same old place. It didn't rain up there but it's expected this evening. More fun!

Gil

June 7th Update

Hi Tom and Bucky,

Got it!!

Fuselage and stab were directly below where it had been but the wing was hidden in the undergrowth about 80 ft away. I had almost given up looking for it because of the mosquitoes. As I was about to pull away, the woods owner dropped by wanting to know why we had been going into his woods. He understood and was a bit surprised after I explained. He took it well but I didn't tell him the next step, had there been one, would have been the chain saw. Minimal damage. Transmitter good as new (batteries dead), engine okay but wing and stab waterlogged. I'm not sure it didn't come down before the big storm. All rubber bands were broken and even the fuel line rubber was badly deteriorated and I'll bet the wing rubber bands broke before the storm. The fuse had burned out in the core and never got to the RB. Anyways, all's well that ends well.

Gil

Photos taken at Shelby Airport on August 13 & 14

Hi Guys,

Two nice days at the Shelby Airport.

Attendees on the 13th: Jim Keppler, Cliff Riedel, Ted Williams, Tom Ryan, & Bucky

Attendees on the 14th: Gil Morris, Ted Williams, Joan Walter & hubby Bucky.

The corn fields took its toll. Cliff's towline glider after one beautiful flight. Ted's CO2 model. Tom Ryan's delta wing rubber job.

Gil was making adjustments on the model he flew in the world FAI Contest. Gil did not win, but what a whale of time and honor to attend and fly for the USA. Gil had quite a few stories he told about the contest. My wife Joan was all ears.

Jim Keppler made a great flight two minute flight with his California Champ. It stay on the field and out of the corn field. Any flight which stays out of the corn field is a very great flight. You have to wait for the right wind direction and use a very short fuse for the DT. Also hope you don't hit a thermal.

The two Earl Stahl models were built by Bucky. Bucky gave them to Jim Keppler to fly at the FAC contest. Bucky does not chase after rubber models anymore. Neither does Jim, but he can get the younger guys to fly the models and chase them.

The two gas jobs are an Ascender and a Brooklyn Dodger.

Enjoy the photos,

Bucky